Bandage



E. GLEDHILL Aug. 31, 194s.

` BANDAGE Filed OCT.. 18, 1945 Patented Aug. 31 ,V 1948 emanada4 EdwardGleahimNew York, N. Y.

Application October 18, 1945, Serial No. 623,094

The pres-ent invention relates generally to band- I ages, but moreparticularly to a novel and i-mproved as well as simplified constructionof an adjustable bandage which will efliciently and adequately protect asore or injury from outside pressure.

Heretoiore it has been the practice to provide ready made commercialadhesive bandages which consist of multiple layers of` gauze secured inthe center of a band of adhesive plaster or surgical tape. In this typeoi bandage the gauze carrying the medication covers the sore or injuryand the adhesive band holds the gauze bandage securely in place over thesore or injury. This type of bandage has many disadvantages, especiallywhere the sore orinjuri7 is in a position where it contacts articles ofclothing or where the injury occurs on parts of the body such as 'thehand, whi-ch frequently come in contact with outside objects. Then too,this conventional type of dressing or bandage often retards the rate ofhealing by actually increasing the friction and pressure. It is,therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention toprovide a novel and improved type of dressing or bandage which will notonly overcome the disadvantages hereinabove pointed out, but which willals-o permit a wide latitude of adjustment and flexibility so as toafford a maximum application to the common type of sore or injuryoccurring .on all parts of the body.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a novel and improvedconstruction of a ready made adhesive dressing or bandage in which aplurality of strips of gauze are positioned so that intermediateportions of certain of the strips lie contiguous to and are pressed intocontact with an adhesive strip while the intermediate portions ofcertain other of these gauze strips are arranged to loosely contact the.injuryand are spaced from the rst named strips of gauze with theco-extensive ends of all the strips of gauze being folded in a pluralityof folds so as to form, in effect, oppositely disposed cushions orpillars attached to the central portions of the bandage to alleviate anypressure on the cut or injury.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel andimpr-oved adhesive dressing or bandage in which the opposite ends of aplurality of gauze strips are folded into a plurality of plies to formadjustable and spa-ced apart pillars so that the medicated portion ofthe gauze may loosely .contact the cut or injury. These pillars are soformed and detachably attached to the adhesive strip that the height ofeither or both pillars may Claims.` (Cl. 12S- 156) I be raised toquickly adjust the bandage to conform to the configuration of thesurface of the body adjacent the sore or injury so that the pressure atall times on the injury may be alleviated. K

A further object of the invention is to provide la novel and improveddressing or 'bandage having a freely suspended medicated gauze portionextending between the opposite ends of the gauze folded in the form ofpillars whereby the pillars may be not only adjusted in height, butadjusted for varying the spacing therebetween to accommodate bandagesfor various types and locations of injuries to the body.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction andan arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter describedand particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved type of dressingor bandage with the protective gauze or covering for the same inposition .to be removed therefrom;

' Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view showing the manner in which thebandage is applied to the surface of the body for covering the wound orinjury;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross sectional view in a somewhatexaggerated form showing the manner in which the gauze strips are foldedand positioned on the opposite sides of the center cf the adhesive stripso as to support that portion of the gauze carrying the medication inloosely suspended form;

Fig. 4 is a similar longitudinal cross sectional viewof the same bandageshowing the manner in which the pillars may be adjusted for increasingthe space therebetween and for raising the height of the individualpillars to accommodate the bandage to bridge a relatively larger .fwoundor injury; and

Fig. 5 isa similar cross sectional view of the same bandage showing themanner in whi-ch one of the pillars only i-s adjusted for height foradapting the bandage to conform to the curvature of the body where theinjury occurs.

. In illustrating one form of my invention, it will be noted that Iemploy a substantially rectangular form of adhesive plaster or tabgenerally indicated by the reference character lll. Attached to theadhesive side of the strip or tab I0 are a plurality of folded gauzestrips so as to form, in eiect, opposite cushioning I pillars generallyindicated by the reference characters Hand l2. These pillars H and-I2are normally pillars II and I2 and the intervening connectingportions I3and I4 are made of a plurality (pref-`` erably four) lengths of gauze ofsubstantially;

the same length. These separate lengths of gauze are designated by thereferencel'charactersi i In order toform thecushion-a Y.

I5, I6, I'I and IB. K ing pilla-rs II and I2, the outer'endsof the fourstrips of gauze, namely Iii, I6, I'I and.-Iii-fare.

folded into three folds of four-ply, so as to form in effect sixteenplies ofgauze to form: the respective-pillars. It will be. obvious,.ofcourse, that a larger number of vthesestripsof gauze than thoseindicatedmaybe employed but for practical purposes, it has been foundsatisfactory inthe use of thebandage tolimit thesame to the ifo'urstrips of. gauze disclosedin the drawings.

The construction -my improved ,bandagev normally. assumes islikethatshown inY Figs'. 1,I 2 and 3'of the drawings, but the sameisy capableof` adjustment soI as to space the `cushioning pillars ata .greaterdistance-.,apart. and simultaneously increasing the height of theypillars, from the. constructionshown .in mFig. r3 to the arrangement4shown in Fig.'y 4 In this connection itnwill be noted ,thatconsiderable` difficulty is usually encounteredin handling adhesiveplaster or tape when necessity requires the.detachment of the gauze fromthe tapein. effecting. anadjustment of the spacing between the pillarsYor in adjustingtheheight of the respective pillars. In order tofacilitate the detachment of` these pillars from the adhesive tape.inmaking the adjustment. forv the .spacing between thel respectivepillars II andIZ', I have .provideda means for. neutralizing the`adhesive at a point` adjacent the outer base portions of therespective-pillars solthat. substantially one-fourth of the iareaaofthebase. of each of the -pillars rests-` onv'thisfneuf tralizedportionofthe adhesive-tapferI Various methods `or materialsmay be'employed to4provide such as neutralized areafbutv I preferablyfuse ra transverse -Astrip of sterile` r paperV as shown at I9. From theabove,;it-wilhbeobviousithauthe outer 'ends of eac-hfof the pillars; I Iand; I 2l shown in Fig; .3 of therdrawings and frestingcuponvtheneutralized strip'of paper' I Ill-can bevreadilyilifted to aid` invvdetaching the pillar. from. the.l adhesive' tapegIfso that :when one.fold is ';unwound',-;theA remaining-,portionsxmay be doubledoryfoldedztasV shown at 2li and subsequently pressed :intojen--tgagement with the` adhesivestrip I Ily beyondl the outer edgesy ofthe.paper strip. I9l Iasshown at.=2 I: in vFig-,4 Vof the drawings..Inlthis'gcon'n'ection it will ,be notedthat: the spacing-between :thepillars II and .I2v in Figrl ofthedrawings. is :morezthan' doublev lindistance,` and i. the height ofithe 4cushion pillars is. increased.tovtwenty-.four :pliesof gauze, thereby giving "greaterrheightl tothe-pillars:and at the same time increasingthe' spacingothereebet'weenqto ,effectivelyy take` care of.` a relatively larger sore` 'or'injury with the lsame'bandage;

In'gthis connection it will be. observed .that the primary function Aof,the. protective: pillarszisfzto. protect` .thef sore or` injury' fromyoutside pressure so that under the circumstances, the farther away theprotective pillars are from the injury, the higher or greater elevationthese pillars should have. In other words, in order to secure themaximum comfort and utility from my new type of bandage, the protectivepillars have to be adjustable so that they may be placed immediatelyadjacent the sore and the adjustment for height and spacing affords acompleteexibility of the bandage so.th'at,lit may befmade compjlementaryor adaptable to the surface of the body where such adjustment isrequired.

` In Fig. 5 ofthe drawings, only one of the pillars I2ffis shownadjusted. In this case, the normal pillar I2 (as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings) is adjustedto this form by detaching the same fromthecadhesive stripf-l,0, folding the same in the center as shown at 22so as to form in effect thirty-two plies of gauze, elevating this pillarto twice the height of the..protective or cushioning pillar II in ythiszflgure..` At the Sametime ltwill be: noted that :the spacingrbetweentha-pillars; is retainedfatfthesame'. distancesas that disclosedinFi"g.z3 ofthe drawings.. When thebandage is.ad. justed in `themanner`disclosed inFig. 5,1'. it has special application to and may be used inlcon nection witha rounded portionof the body where an. injury. or.sore` occurs,. requiring :that type -of bandage to arelieve the pressurethereon. The bandage is provd'edfwi-th the' conventional'protectivestrips 23 which are removed before applying.. the bandage 1 to thei-sore or injury?- Summarizingiithe 1 advantages and -functlo'nsfofoperation of. my--improved bandage, litwilli be'job` vious that byproviding detachable 'cushioning pillars-Onthe' opposite sides-'ofthecentral portion ofthe adhesive plasteryby the simple'expedient ofiemploying awseries of fourlstrips-of gauze-'of substantially thesamelength7 foldingthe-outer ends of these strips vin the form'of=-cushioning pillars withone portion l"ofi the :intervening gauzelooselycontacting the injury andthe other intervening portion .securingthev gauzeY in position on they adhesive plaster, i the'- manufactureand ad`rr justrnent of .the-bandage is reduced toa simple operation.With thisv newf bandage vitwill'falsobe notedthat the spacing betweenthefpillars` can--be increased`- 'and at'the same time,-thefheight^ofthepillars canbeiv alsoi increased- -byA Athe simple ein pedient of foldingthe pillarfat thecenter thereof. and `securing the same in place at vitsextended position'.I This novelJ constructionaffords atwide range offlexibility softhattli'e bandagecaneasily be adjusted to conform-to awound orinjury'foci curring i on any par-tof' the' body;v Itfwillfurtherbe lobserved that the bandagesshown'infthedraw# ings can be manufacturedin' relatively long-strips. fromwhich the individual bandages ofvaryingwidthsmay be'severeoLfl While@ in the above specification I haVef."'de;-scribed one embodiment-which rnyinventionmay assume in practice, itrwill,of course; beunde'r-U stood thatthe same is capablerof'modi-cationiand that modification may bef'madeV without"'depart--ing'fromfthe spiritand 'scope of the'inventlongas expressed in theappended claims'.v

Whatf I claim as my invention'and' Axdesireto secure byLettersiPat'ent'is-v 15A bandage comprising a tab'havingf adhesive onone' side?y thereof land-adapted to lbe lapplied adjacent-a wound; aplurality ofrgauzc 'strips 'have` ing their opposite-ends folded intoapluralityiof plies located on1 the yopposite sidesrofthe' approxi;j matetransverse center y'-pertion'iof-saidrtaband securedto-the adhesive sidethereoffcertain por-r' tions of said gauze loosely bridging the centralportion of said tab, and certain other portions of said gauze attachedto said tab.

2. A bandage comprising a tab having adhesive on one side thereof and aplurality of substantially uniform lengths of gauze strips having theiropposite ends folded to form oppositely disposed cushioning pillarsattached to said tab, intervening portions of said gauze stripsextending between said pillars, certain of said intervening portionsloosely suspended and carrying medication for application to the wound,certain other of said intervening portions attached to said tab.

3. A bandage comprising a strip of adhesive plaster, a plurality ofgauze strips having their opposite ends folded to form cushioningpillars attached to and spaced on the yopposite sides of the transversecenter of said plaster strip, certain portions of said gauze stripsloosely bridging said pillars and carrying a medication thereon, certainother gauze portions between said pillars engaging said adhesiveplaster, and means for neutralizing certain portions of said adhesiveplaster to facilitate the'detachment of said pillars from said plasterstrip.

4. A bandage comprising a strip of adhesive plaster, a plurality ofplies of gauze strips having their opposite ends folded to formcushioning pillars on the opposite sides of the central portion of saidadhesive strip, the intermediate portion of certain of said gauze stripsloosely suspended between said pillars, the intermediate portion ofcertain other of said gauze strips engaging said adhesive strip.

5. A bandage comprising a strip of adhesive plaster, a plurality ofplies of gauze strips having their opposite ends folded to formcushioning pillars on the opposite sides of the central portion of saidadhesive strip, the intermediate portion of certain of said gauze stripsloosely suspended between said pillars, the intermediate portion ofcertain other of saidgauze strips engaging said adhesive strip, andmeans for neutralizing certain portions of said adhesive plasteradjacent said pillars for facilitating the detachment of said pillarsfrom said adhesive strip.

EDWARD GLEDHILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,133,609 Eustis Oct. 18, 1938FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 149,772 Australia May 28, 1937433,920 France Jan. 19, 1912 604,923 France May 17, 1926

